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REG: Special Tax collection drive by Government of India through Banks

Rationalisation of the compensation

We have on our hand the RBI circular RBI/2013-14/535 dated 26.03.2014 addressed to all Chairman and Managing Director of all agency Banks to keep select branches open as a regular working day for transacting Government business at key locations based on the volume of transactions upto 08.00 pm on 29th to 31st March 2014, where 31st March 2014 has not been declared as a Public holiday.

2. However, RBI, vide its circular DPSS[CHE]/1446/01.02.003/2013-14 dated 28th March 2014 addressed to Officer In-charge, Clearing operation of Banker’s clearing House at Chennai [BCHC] to conduct the special clearing at all clearing houses across the country on 29th to 31st March, 2014 which are as follows.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

RESERVE BANK OF INDIA Date : 26 Mar 2014Banks and RBI to facilitate Tax Payments on March 29, 30 and 31, 2014.With a view to providing greater convenience to tax payers, it has been decided that all designated branches of agency banks and RBI Offices conducting government business will keep their counters open for extended hours on Saturday, March 29, and Monday, March 31, 2014 till 8.00 p.m. This arrangement will apply where March 31, 2014, has not been declared as a public holiday. On Sunday, March 30, 2014, and on Monday, March 31, 2014 (at places where holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act has been declared), agency banks would keep select branches open for transacting government business at locations identified by them based on volume of transactions.

REG: SPECIAL TAX COLLECTION DRIVE BY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA THROUGH BANKS.

We have the confirmed information that the Government of India has initiated the expeditious steps to collect the tax revenues from the tax payers by providing special opportunity to pay the tax dues through Banks on 29th, 30th and 31stMarch 2014,being the holidays declared by the State Governments in consultation with the respective Regional Offices of Reserve Bank of India under NI Act.

1. The taxpayers are aware of the payment of taxes on 15th September,2013 as well as at the end of March 2014. They are expected to plan the calendar and schedule of payment well in advance. Having failed in their duties,

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Following are the details of
discussions as per Bank Karmachari Sena Mahasangh

(trade
union wing of Sivasena Party) (award staff union)and not a
member of UFBU but negotiating with IBA seperately Ref.: BKSM/09/2014March 3,
2014

On 9th
Meeting dt.03.03.2014

.Following are the details.......In my experience of having negotiated & signed three Bipartite settlement and this being the fourth one. I felt disillusioned for the first time about the approach of 1BA towards the present wage revision negoliation held today.Initially, Shri Bhasin, Chairman of the Negotiating committee, appraised all negotiating members of all the Unions representing at IBA.. that IBA had discussed the issue of Wage Revision with all the CMDs and Committee members of IBA and that there was unanimous decision amongst them that the Ranks are not in position to even give 10% Wage rise in the pay slip components. He stressed that under the circumstances that when all Banks are struggling hA rd to keep their respective balance sheet upright, stated that he was unfortunately constrained that they cannot offer anything over & above the present offer of 10% increase in pay slip components.

Apart from seeking early settlement of wage revision, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has renewed its appeal for introduction of five-day workweek and regulated working hours for officers.

The issue was discussed in detail at a recent meeting with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) in Mumbai. On its part, the UFBU said working hours could be increased by 45 minutes a day as most of the branches function for four hours on the weekend.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

The text of UFBU Circular No. 22 dt. 14-3-2014 on the outcome of the discussions with IBA . “In our Circular No. 20 dated 3rd March 2014, we had informed about the details of the discussions held with the IBA on that day. Another round of discussions were held today in IBA office, Mumbai between IBA and UFBU. IBA’s team was led by Mr R.K.Dubey (CMD, Canara Bank), Chairman of the IBA’s Core Committee, Mr M.V.Tanksale, Chief Executive, IBA and other Executives. UFBU was represented by leaders of all our constituent unions.Carrying forward the discussions held in the last round of talks, some of the important issues like introduction of 5 Day Banking, regulated working hours for officers, etc. were discussed further. While appreciating our viewpoints, IBA wanted further inputs from the Unions in order to examine the issues and to take up the matter with higher authorities. We stressed on the need for providing quarters/ housing accommodation to all employees, particularly to those recruited in the Banks in the recent years.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Some comrades prefer Pay commission than to Bi-partite system.Some were gone to the extend of online campaign.Pay commission is like a gift/donation. It depends on the mood of the donor. Employees can give representations but can't negotiate like which head to be increased to which extend etc.,You might have noticed that even after 5 years of 6th pay commission, various section of Govt. employees are conducting demo.etc for various anomalies. Bipartite is a negotiated settlement agreed by both the parties and no more agitations for another five years in the matter of wages.There are many more points to add. I will post it in future, as it will lead to a new topic for dicussion and dilute the negotiation process.*********************** I searched for explanation, I found one issued by AIBEA ISSUED IN THE YEAR OF 2010.(SOME VALID POINTS ARE MISSING IN THE CIRCULAR)I reproduced the same for your reading.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Disgruntled
staff of public sector banks are sitting ducks for poachers, says Aiboc

Thiruvananthapuram,
March 7:

The new banks will trigger a scramble for human
resources and this will lead to unhealthy competition for capital, resources
and talent, he added.

Staff of public sector banks are sitting ducks for „poachers,‟
Singh told newspersons here on the eve of the 10th triennial conference of
Aiboc.

The cause of poachers are more than served by Indian
Banks‟
Association which has kept the employees deprived and frustrated during the
last few years and 13 rounds of wage negotiations, Singh said.

Aiboc feels the intent was evident from the aggressive
posturing of Finance Minister P Chidambaram over wage revision after he met
with chiefs of public sector banks in New Delhi on Thursday.

Rising non-performing assets are the result of
faulty policy-making and lack of effective monitoring. It is farcical to blame
it on either the employees or their demand for timely revision of wages, he
said.

Profit motive

Singh also found fault with the tendency to compare
public sector banks with counterparts in the West in terms of resilience in the
face of uncertainties triggered by the financial tsunami. “We are not
commercial banks. Our constitution as public sector banks with a social
objective does not give much importance to profit motive,” he said.

These banks handle
non-remunerative government business and implement development programmes of
Central and State governments. But this is not acknowledged by managements and
policymakers.

Non-performing assets (NPAs) are to the tune of Rs.
2.3 lakh crore as on March 31, 2013. The restructured portfolio is another Rs.
3.5 lakh crore and is rising every quarter. Big-ticket advances and mid-sized
entities are major defaulters. Corporate debt restructuring, one-time
settlements and write-offs drain hundreds of crores of rupees from bank
profits.

Nowhere else in the developed world do banks stretch
themselves thin to finance long-term infrastructure. This is best achieved by
specified institutions and instruments.

The social objectives demand adhering to policy
initiatives such as debt waivers to certain sections of customers.

“We do not mind targeted initiatives for deserving
customers.

But this creates a moral hazard in that a genuine
customer with a clean slate is let down,” said Harshvardhan M, President,
Aiboc.

Banks are also arm-twisted by the government into
parting with seizable dividend, which should normally get ploughed back to
boost capital and reserves, he added.

The UnionCabinetapproved the Finance Ministry’s proposal on terms of reference
of the 7th CPC. We have placed the full text of the same on our website.

None of the suggestions
made by the Staff Side was accepted by the Government.

However, our concern over the date of effect seems to have been taken note of. The terms of reference has left the effective
date of its recommendations to be decided by the Commission itself. A united
stand backed up by struggles will enable us to clinch this demand in our
favour. Undoubtedly it has been our endeavours and the two days strike action
that has compelled the Government to have a rethinking on their earlier stand
of Decennial (Ten years} wage revision for Central Government employees and the
date of effect as 1/1/2016

Unlike on the earlier occasion, the Government has not decided
tograntInterim Relief and merger of Dearness allowance. Nor has it
asked the Commission to consider and make appropriate recommendation in this
regard specifically. As pointed out in our earlier communication, inclusion of
a labour representative in the Commission being not an idea the UPA Government
cherishes, for it is diametrically opposite to its economic policies and
ideology, they have stuck to the position of sandwiching the Honourable Judge
with bureaucrats. In the light of the agreement penned by Com. Mahadeviah, theGeneralSecretary
of the recognised GDS union with the Postal Board to the effect that a separate
one man committee will look into the service conditions of the Grameen Dak
Sewaks, it is not surprising that the Government chose to ignore our demand to
cover them within the ambit of the 7th CPC. Our demands for parity between the
past and present pensioners and scrapping of the new pension scheme also stand
rejected.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

full text of Circular No. UFBU/2014/21, dated 03.03.2014,
issued by United Forum of Bank Unions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As informed in our earlier Circular No. 20 dated 19-02-2014, another round of
negotiations on our wage revision demands was held in Mumbai today between UFBU and
IBA. IBA’s team was led by its Negotiating Committee Chairman Mr. T M Bhasin while
UFBU was represented by all the constituent unions.
Opening up the discussions, Mr Bhasin said that looking to the present performance
and earnings of the Banks and the financial constraints faced by the Banks, it would not be
possible for them to further improve their earlier offer of 10% increase over the cost of
payslip components. From UFBU we stoutly contested their contention and pointed out that
Banks have adequate profitability and hence the offer of IBA needs to be substantially
increased upwards as their offer of 10% is totally unacceptable to the Unions and already
rejected as inadequate. We also drew their attention to the wage accords reached recently in
few other sectors as well as the Government’s mind as reflected in their reference to the 7th
Pay Commission.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

For
the past one year all aspects of wage revision are discussed in the social
media.

Though
all the comments do not merit due to dirty language or lack of knowdge about basics,

Most of the comments indicate
that everybody expects a substantial increase in salary, and also ready for a
longer strike.

At the same time I wish to tell
you, that union leaders have no magic stick or extra ordinary power to get the
wage revision.

They draw power from the backing
of employees and their readiness to follow all the instructions/programmes.

Therefore please ensure the
support from ourside always.

Regarding the percentage of increase
and its impact on gross salary is not explained by any union in open so far. Only
people like me try to explain with what we understand from the details. How far
it will become true, we have to wait and see.